Arthur Smith: The Colts have not yet decided which quarterback will start their first game of the 16th week.

Arthur Smith: The Colts have not yet decided which quarterback will start their first game of the 16th week.

The pick six by Desmond Ridder on Sunday might constitute the last straw. This coaching staff and bigger franchise made a promise to him in the summer, refused to hold a competition, and kept him out of most of the preseason games.

They talked a lot about how much they believed in the rookie quarterback going into the season. He could now be benched for a second time, and I think this time it will last for the last three games.

Before Ridder’s costly turnover, the team seemed likely to at least think about switching quarterbacks. Ridder’s mistake turned what looked like a sure win into a tough loss.

The defense broke apart on that last long drive, but I don’t think Ridder should get off the hook for leading an offense that scored only seven points all day and lost a drive that would have scored.

It looks like Arthur Smith is thinking about firing Taylor Heinicke again after seeing this team lose two games in a row and almost have a late-season collapse that could cost him his job.

This has been a very up and down season for the Atlanta Falcons. This is especially true when it comes to how they’ve handled their QB situation. The people running are Desmond Ridder as well as Taylor Heinicke.

According to the team’s website, head coach Arthur Smith wouldn’t say which quarterback the team would use for Week 16 towards the Indianapolis Colts or for the rest of the season on Monday. This comes as the team enters an important stretch run.

The Falcons didn’t look at players including Lamar Jackson this summer. Instead, they insisted that Ridder, a third-round pick in 2022, was their best option.

At the end of that time, the Falcons had a 4-4 record, and Ridder was taken out of the last game for the second half.

In the first eight games of the season, Ridder had a rough patch. He completed only 65.4% of his passes, gaining a median of 7.1 yards per attempt. He also threw six scores and six interceptions.

Smith kept Heinicke as the team’s starter for the next two games, even though Ridder wasn’t put on the bench for poor performance.

On Sunday, the Falcons meet the Colts. Their last two games of the season are on the road against the Bears and the Saints.

For 498 yards, three scores, and one interception, Heinicke completed 41 out of 74 passes in his three games. But after only hitting 8 of 15 passes for 55 yards as well as a touchdown against the Cardinals, he was taken out of the game and replaced by Ridder.

Since then, Ridder has started the last four games. His stats are 63 of 107 for 788 yards, four scores, and four interceptions.

During that time, the team is 2-2. However, Heinicke didn’t look much improved in the middle, which is why Smith went back to Ridder.

The team has lost consecutively important games against teams from the same NFC South division. The most recent loss was to the Carolina Panthers, who had only one win before Sunday’s rainy game.

It is pretty clear that Ridder isn’t the long-term answer at quarterback for this team. On the other hand, Heinicke does not look like he can help the Falcons get out of their 6-8 hole and take the NFC South.

To make the playoffs, they’ll probably require victory in at least two games, and maybe even all three.

Over the weekend, it was said that Smith’s job might be safe after this year, but obviously that could change if things go badly.

It rained during the game, but Ridder still had decent stats (12/20, 152 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT), yet he still has trouble scoring, and he threw one of the worst picks of the season, which led to the Panthers’ game-winning field goal.

Smith is in a tough spot because Ridder is still having trouble, and he said he doesn’t know if Ridder or Taylor Heinicke will start at quarterback in Week 16 toward the Indianapolis Colts.

There is no doubt that either Ridder and Heinicke will play, but the Falcons don’t really like either choice.

Ridder hasn’t looked good as a starting this year, so he was taken out of the game early on to make room for Heinicke.

Overall, the Falcons’ QB situation is pretty bad either way. Their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread, so it probably won’t matter who they start going forward.

Ridder is still having trouble, though, so Smith might have to use Heinicke for the last three games from the regular season. It will be interesting to see what he decides in the end.